The Blessings of Trials (James 1)

This letter was written by James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ. He had
a concern for the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad because of the
persecution they suffered for their faith in Christ. The trials that come
with persecution, suffering, unfairness, etc., are easily identified, yet
difficult to overcome. All trials require faith and a submission to God's
will in order to walk triumphantly through them.

In addition to the easily identifiable trials, there is another trial that
is not as easily identified. This is the trial that comes with blessings.

Blessings speak to us of comfort and joy, of ease and the fulfilment of our
desires. The trial and temptation in the midst of these blessings come
slyly in our thought life. Instead of keeping our focus on Christ and our
constant dependence on Him, we are tempted to take some credit for these
blessings. Our natural, carnal mind is always trying to lead us astray. It
wants us to focus on self. Maybe God is blessing us because we keep His
commandments, go to church, read our Bibles, pray long prayers, support
missions, and do all these good things. This mindset robs God of the glory
that belongs to Him. Instead of recognizing God's grace, we falsely think
that we can produce a bit of righteousness in our own strength. This is the
area we have to guard against. God's blessings have their source in God -
not in self!

James is not speaking of this type of testing, but of the outward trials
that affect our physical well-being, our reputation, our fear of pain, of
hunger and death, and things like that.

In an interview on life's problems, Rick Warren said, "Life is a series of
problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or
you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that
God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more
interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We
can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The
goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness." In order to grow
spiritually, we need trials and problems!

James recognized that discouragement often accompanies these heavy duty
trials. So let us see how he encourages the hurting people!

Keeping encouragement in mind, James writes, "Consider it all joy, my
brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of
your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

We are surprised that instead of offering sympathy to these hurting people,
James tells them to consider it joy. In the midst of suffering and
ill-treatment our carnal reasoning assures us we have reason to feel sorry
for ourselves. But carnal reasoning with its "poor me" rational is not for
Christians. The carnal mind is always against the Spirit, for it CANNOT
understand spiritual realities. (1 Cor. 2:14) So it is no wonder that the
Spirit is against the carnal mind! The two do not mix! That which is born
of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. It
is so important that our thoughts have their source in the mind of Christ!

James does not say that trials are a joyous experience, but we are to
consider them as joy! Why? Because trials and difficulties are necessary
to produce Christ-like virtues in us. For example, a surgical operation is
not fun, but we are happy to endure the pain because it will result in
wholeness. In our spiritual journey, trials and hardships are necessary to
transform us into the image of Christ! This transformation is beyond all
human understanding, and to participate in it we need situations that cannot
be resolved by the carnal mind.

To journey through these difficulties successfully, our only option is to
trust God! Without faith we will fall into depression with its accompanying
despair. Since our only way of deliverance is by faith, we are pressured
to walk in the obedience of faith! When the source of our thoughts is the
mind of Christ, changes occur in us.

In the midst of trials we need to look at God's goal for us, and the part
they play in our journey towards this goal! Suffering and trials are
necessary in order to produce the obedience of faith. He wants the Christians to see
the value of suffering and trials!

Many Christians do not know that the mind of Christ is included in the new
creation that we are in Christ. In 1 Cor. 2:16, Paul wrote that we have the
mind of Christ. When I first read that, I figured that God had overlooked
me. But there it was! I read and reread that verse. I was forced to
believe it, for God is always right! But I did not see the evidence! Seeing
the evidence is not a faith walk. Our carnal mind does not want us to know
the truth, so it loudly yells, "Unfair, unfair," as well as other words of
hate and revenge. But our new mind in Christ does not listen to that mind.
His mind reminds us of the truth that trials are needful for us to be
changed into the image of Christ! Christ is love, and He always loves and
forgives!

Without the practice of overcoming small trials in our faith walk, we won't
be overcomers when the going gets tough. We will lack the endurance to
become perfect and complete!

Even Christ had to learn obedience through the things He had to suffer!
Throughout His ministry, He had to endure rejection from His people! For
the 30 years while He was under the law, He just lived a normal life. He
did not do any miracles and He was not rejected by people. But after He
repented of having been under the law when He was baptized by John, the
rejection began. After He was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down on Him in
the form of a dove. Later, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on the
disciples as tongues of fire. Why the difference? It was because Christ did
not need the consuming fire of God to burn away any carnality, for He never
sinned. After this experience He was always led by the Spirit. This was when
His troubles began, and they continued and grew worse until they ended with
the horrible sufferings, torture, and death on the cross! In all these
trials He always remained obedient to the Father's will for Him! He had
perfect confidence in the Father's will for Him! He looked at what it would
achieve!

"For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross." (Heb. 12:2) What was
this joy? It was the joy of knowing that He would become the Saviour of the
world! He knew it was worth being obedient to the Father's will because His
will was, and always is, best! His will is also best for us! We too have to
be convinced that God's will is best for us! This is wisdom!

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (v. 5)

What will convince us of our need for wisdom? When everything is going
well, and we are patting ourselves on the back, figuring it's because we
are so good? No way! But when trials and difficulties come, and we don't
know which way to turn, we recognize our need for wisdom. Trials also test
our faith and trust in God! They reveal our strengths and weaknesses, and
bring to light our understanding of of God is!

Without wisdom we will wonder for what sin God is punishing us. We may be
asking "Why," instead of believing that God always has our best in mind, and
that He is in us and with us to give us the victory! God wants us to be
convinced of the fact that He is our wisdom and He will reveal His wisdom to
us when we ask for it in faith!

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Heb. 11:6) We cannot
expect answers when we do not have faith. "But he must ask in faith without
any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and
tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive
anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his
ways." (James 1:6-8)

Here we have a description of a doubting man, a double-minded man - a man
who listens to two minds - the carnal mind of unbelief, and the spiritual
mind of Christ. He gives a nodding assent to the mind of Christ when he
reads the scriptures or when he goes to church, then listens to his carnal
mind when confronted by a problem. His faith travels up and down, like a
wave driven by the wind or like a teeter-totter, going up and down,
believing and doubting. In the end he does what his natural mind tells him
to do. It gives him various reasons for doubting God. Maybe God does not
want the best for him or maybe God wants to punish him for his many sins and
failures, or maybe these circumstances are beyond God's ability to resolve,
or maybe he is not worthy of God's attention. With so many maybes and
doubts in regard to God, he thinks it is safer for him to help God answer
his prayers. Surely God would appreciate a little self-effort on his part.
Surely God would appreciate his co-operation in this way. This man thinks he can
decree a thing and it will happen. His faith in self fights against the
faith in God's promises! All doubts have their roots in self-endeavour!

There is no stability in a double-minded man, for the carnal mind is always
against truth, and therefore it has no discernment! This man will accept
and do whatever seems most convenient to him at that moment. There is no
place for wisdom in two minds!

Humanity's foolishness thinks God needs our help! At one time Abraham also
thought that. This brought Ishmael into existence and problems increased.

Foolishness fosters disobedience; wisdom produces obedience! We need the
wisdom that Christ is in us, in order to believe that God will do what He
has said He will do. The promise is even greater than the answer, for the
promise produced the answer!

God always seems to wait with His answer until we have exhausted all our
energy and are either convinced that we need Him or we think He's too late!

In a doubting man, the carnal mind of doubt and the spiritual mind of Christ
are unequally yoked together, so they do not bear the fruit of the Spirit!
To be unequally yoked does not only apply to marriage but also to many other
situations. To be victorious, a separation between these two minds has to
take place, and that can only take place throughout death to sin. Even as
Christ was dead to sin (Rom. 6:10), so in Christ we too must die to sin.
Christ wants us to be yoked with Him, for He said, "Take My yoke upon you."
His yoke consists of a complete trust in His ability to do His will, and the
knowledge that His will is best. and that it will bring the greatest rewards
for us. In this knowledge we can embrace the Father's desires and will as
our own! Since the mind of Christ always obeyed the Father, we know that
His mind working in us will also keep us blameless and secure, always doing
the Father's will! As we feed on Christ and mature in Him, this will become
more apparent to us. His mind will keep us from sinning, and we too will be
victorious because we are yoked with Him!

Next, James encourages those who are poor in worldly goods, for they often
feel inferior to the rich. Often the rich also treat them disrespectfully.
Their prosperity-minded brothers may even tell them that their lack of faith
is the reason for their poverty. In the face of all the indignities the
poor man has to suffer, he is encouraged "to glory in his high position."
(v.9) His lack of earthly goods does not affect his standing with God!

Then there is the rich man who often tends to be self-satisfied. He is "to
glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass, His riches will pass
away. For the sun rises with scorching wind and withers the grass; and its
flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the
rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (1:10-11)

The rich are to realize that their riches are temporary. This is
humiliating for them, for they realize they cannot depend on their riches.
When they realize that their dependence needs to be Christ, a change will
take place in them, and they will glory in their humiliation. It will free
them from their greed and from holding on to their riches. A spirit of
generosity will be kindled in them. Despite their wealth and good deeds,
they too have to depend completely on Christ for their righteousness and
strength. Once they recognize that their wealth is not their security, they
can capitalize on what they have by using their money to help others. By
keeping it for themselves, they will fade away in the midst of their
pursuits. If they give it away by helping others, they will lay up
treasures for themselves in heaven where they have a lasting value!
"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who
love Him." (v.12)

This blessing does not depend on our social standing, our jobs or racial
origin. It is for ALL who persevere under trial! Our perseverance under
trial reveals our love for God and our trust in Him! It is the evidence
that we trust the promises that He has made! The crown of life is not a
physical crown that is worn on the head. Christ is the head of His body, and
His life flows down into His body. The crown of life symbolizes the life
that is ours in Christ, our head! He is our life! His life is absolutely
pure and sinless, and this is the life He gives us! Our physical life will
perish, but the life He gives us has nothing perishable in it, so it is
everlasting!

Many Christians have a wrong understanding of who our God is, so they blame
Him when things go wrong! After Adam sinned, the blaming began! He blamed
God for giving him a wife and he blamed his wife for his failure. Humanity
still loves to blame others for its own humanity and the problems inherent
in humanity. It even blames God because it figures that God should only
give His people the things that make them happy. God has the ability to do
whatever He wants to, so should they not dictate their wants to Him, and
expect Him to cater to all their wishes? If they do not get what they want,
or when things go wrong, God gets the blame. When they yield to their
lustful desires, God also gets the blame! They do not realize that God has
given us Christ, and that He is the answer to all our needs!

Just in case someone thinks that God is to blame for his problems, James
lets us know that God is not the source of our temptations. He writes, "Let
no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot
be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is
tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust
has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it
brings forth death." (1:13-15)

These verses tell us the source of our temptations! The apostle John
enlarges on this and writes that it is the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes and the pride of life that cause us to sin. (1 John 2:16) It is
like a pregnancy. Before a birth can take place, the ovum and the sperm
have to unite. In regard to sin, the lust has to unite with our unbelief
in God to supply what is best for us! To fill the void, faith in
self-effort takes place. After this conception has taken place, the lust in
the carnal mind grows until it is ready to be born. Then when the sin is
committed, death follows! Sin can never birth obedience. Our carnal mind
is the mind of death. (Rom. 8:6) So it is always against the life in the
Spirit! This shows us that our thoughts have to have their source in the
mind of Christ!

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." (James 1:16) It is so easy to be
deceived by good counterfeits, and the carnal mind is very adept at
producing them! We need the light that Christ is, and the guidance of the
Holy Spirit to differentiate between religion (trying to become righteous
through our own works) and Christianity (having Christ be our
righteousness).

Trials open the door to the temptation of yielding to the desires of the
flesh, for our desires pose as carefree, happy living. Only Christ, the truth, can
free us from our bondage to our lustful desires for honour, prestige, riches
and the pleasures of this world. Truth reveals the lie, identifies it and
judges it!

Truth is the most powerful thing there is! It does away with the lie! If we
do not have truth, we will embrace the lie, and claim it as our truth!
Let's not be deceived by our passions, traditions and desires that are
rooted in self, and dressed in sheep's clothing. Christ is the reality!

"Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His
will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of
first fruits among His creatures." (1:17-18)

Here we see a wonderful truth! Every good and perfect gift comes from
above; it does not come from the earth. It does not have its source in the
darkness of carnality, but in the Father of lights! Again we are reminded
of the fact that the source of our thoughts is so very important! I used to
think that I had to make the decision to follow Christ, but here we are told
that it is, "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of
truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures."
It's so wonderful to know that God has a purpose for bringing us out of
darkness! He wants us to be a first fruit! The first fruit reveals what the
fruit of the harvest will look like. Christ is the exact representation of
the invisible God. As we learn who Christ is, we learn to know who God is.
Likewise, we, the first fruit, are to show the world what Christ is like.
As they observe us, they are to learn to know Christ! This is our high
calling in Christ!

"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the
righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that
remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able
to save your souls." (1:19-21)

Keeping in mind that we are representatives of Christ and members of His
body, is it no wonder that James exhorts us to watch our speech! Jesus only
did what the Father showed Him to do! In like manner we too should only do
and say the things that the Spirit shows us! Jesus never obeyed His
feelings! He always listened to the Father! When our ears are tuned to
hear the voice of the Spirit, His words of wisdom and love will pour out of
our mouths!

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude
themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked
at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person
he was." (1: 22-23)

Here we have a man who looks in a mirror. Why? To see himself, of course!
He wants to make sure he looks his best to others. Have you ever noticed
that you see yourself in reverse when you look into a mirror? The right arm
is where the left should be, and vice versa. We think we see ourselves as we
are, but we don't. Spiritually speaking, this man's mirror is the law of
Moses, the law of commandments. He wants to see how well he measures up.
Compared to others, he thinks he looks pretty good, but of course he does
not see himself quite like he is. He sees some blemishes, but on the whole,
the outside of him, the part people see, looks good. He keeps the Sabbath,
tithes, prays long prayers, sits on committees, and makes a good spiritual
impression on others! He feels good about himself. As this feeling grows,
he forgets about the blemishes. His satisfaction dismisses his need for
inner beauty. He seems to be ignorant of the fact that in comparing
ourselves with others we are not wise! (2 Cor.10:12) The Law of Moses has
not yet taught him that the righteousness of the law can never meet God's
standard for righteousness! He has not learned that through the law is our
knowledge of sin. Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart!

The natural mind can never produce spiritual understanding. For example, the
apostle Peter had received revelation knowledge from God when, in answer to
Christ's question, Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God." (Matt.16:16) At that time the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured
out, so Peter only received this revelation in his natural mind. Therefore
this revelation did not change him or keep him in the time of trial. At
Christ's trial, when he was asked whether he knew Christ, he denied knowing
Him and even swore that he did not know Him. Later, after he was filled with
the Spirit, he was a changed man and ready to die for Him!

Unless we hear the words of Christ spiritually, we too will only be hearers
of the word. We will be content with a good reputation and with works that
have their source in self-effort, and that seek to fulfil the Law of Moses.

In this next verse we see a different man. "But one who looks intently at
the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a
forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he
does." (1:25)

This verse describes a man who does not look at himself in the Law of Moses.
Instead, he looks at the perfect law of liberty. This law is not like the
Law of Moses, the law of condemnation. The law of liberty is the law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus! This law frees us from the law of sin and
death and from our bondage to sin! It also frees us from our reliance on
self-performance, and brings us into a faith in what Christ has done for us!
He is now our righteousness, sanctification, redemption and wisdom! What
more can we ask for!!!

"If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his
tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. (v. 26)

There are many religions in this world! There is a big difference between
being in a religion and being in Christ. Being in a religion just means that
we subscribe to the doctrines of that organization and obey them. But being
in Christ is different. Christ is not an organization; Christ has a body
and we are members of His body. This brings us into a relationship of life
with Christ, the head. This union brings us into an alignment with His
thoughts, so He can do His work through us! Being in Christ changes us on
the inside. This is evidenced in the words we speak and in the things we
do! If this evidence is missing, we are only in a worthless religion.

In the next verse we have the earmark of true religion. "Pure and undefiled
religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (v.
27)

Our faith has to agree with God's perspective of what is pure and undefiled.
As long as we focus on self, we are not free to focus on others. This brings
us into a dilemma, for we find we cannot free ourselves from our bondage to
sin and self. Our inability to free ourselves shows us our need for grace
and truth! In Christ we are freed from being centred on self,
self-achievement, honour, riches, greed and flattery. We can now focus on
others and their needs. Helping widows and orphans, the poor and afflicted
becomes a priority! This is the pure and undefiled religion that is ours in
Christ!